Skylar Limburg is spending her summer turning classroom concepts into real-world impact in an internship with HID Global, a worldwide provider of secure identity and access control solutions.
Limburg, a senior majoring in cybersecurity engineering at Florida Polytechnic University, is working with the company’s information security, network security, and physical access control systems product security teams in her hometown of Austin, Texas. She is helping protect technologies used by millions of people every day in schools, businesses, hospitals and other facilities.
“I was drawn to this internship because it combined several areas of cybersecurity that I’m passionate about,” Limburg said. “HID Global’s work in physical access control systems sits at the intersection of hardware, software, networking and cybersecurity.”
The opportunity has given her hands-on exposure across multiple layers of security, including hardware and firmware, software, web applications and network infrastructure. Through the internship, Limburg has contributed to threat modeling, penetration testing audits, security training for engineering teams and developing solutions to address security findings.
“This role has truly been the experience of a lifetime,” Limburg said. “Every day I get to see how the concepts I’ve learned in the classroom are applied to solve real-world security challenges.”
The internship has exposed Limburg to leading-edge technology through AI-assisted workflows, AI security, and helping develop AI-assisted security pipelines.
It has also reinforced her long-term career goals.
“It has confirmed that cybersecurity is exactly where I belong,” Limburg said. “Working alongside experienced professionals and contributing to real security initiatives has strengthened my passion for the field and given me confidence that this is the career I want to pursue.”
At Florida Poly, Limburg said the cybersecurity engineering program has provided a strong foundation for the internship through a comprehensive curriculum focused on end-to-end system protection.
“The extensive lab work and practical coursework allowed me to develop technical skills beyond simply understanding concepts,” Limburg said.
Florida Poly, the state’s only university exclusively dedicated to STEM, was the first institution in Florida to offer a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity engineering in 2021.
For Limburg, one of the most meaningful parts of the internship is seeing the connection between HID Global’s products and Florida Poly’s campus community.
“Just look at your Florida Poly ID and the access reader every time you open a campus door,” Limburg said. “It’s rewarding to know that I’m helping secure products that are used not only around the world, but also by my own University community every single day.”
Contact:
Lydia Guzmán
Director of Communications
863-874-8557
